Werder: Cowboys considering CMike and Collins

[TheDude]

May be a band aid if free keeps whiffing

 

[ConstantReboot]

Jerry will never let McFadden go. He has been dreaming of McFadden wearing the Star for many years.

MacFadden has been an utter failure. We could have had better prospects in that slot if it weren't for Jerry meddling once again and leaving MacFadden where he belongs - with the Raiders.

 

[Wolf2k5]

I'm picturing the personnel meeting.

Brave soul: So let me just throw this out there. What if La'el Collins and Christine Michael are better than what we have out there?

~South Park hostile crowd noise~

Rabble, rabble rabble!

 

[RunDMC]

Coaching staff finally opening their eyes.

Everyone has called for these moves and two of the three are already official.

 

[chicago JK]

As I've said before, I went back before this season started and watched all of last year's victory. Yes, the line opened some amazing holes, but there were times when Murray made holes appear by diving through a crease, cutting back or simply running over a lineman when there didn't appear to be any holes.

It's a symbiotic relationship. Having a running back who can create yardage on his own makes the line better, which leads to more running opportunities that gives the line more chances to open those holes that the back can exploit.

I don't like to bring up Murray anymore because he is no longer here and we need to focus on what we've got, but to understand why what we've got isn't working, we need to look at why what we had was working. There was a stretch last season before he wore down, where Murray was being constantly praised for the way he would power through tackle attempts to turn potentially no gain into a 3- to 4-yard gain on first down, which would lead to Dallas having a realistic run-pass option on second down.

What we don't have right now is a back who regularly can make something out of nothing. Randle can shoot the hole. He can occasionally twist and fight for an extra yard or two and he has the ability to bounce runs to turn them into potential good gains, but he isn't going to pinball off defenders regularly to fall forward for a few yards.

McFadden has the size to do that and delivers a pop with a head of steam, but he can't find those small creases or change paths with power. He is only as good as the play is blocked.

With Michael, I don't know. He seems to have both creative ability and power, but we just haven't seen enough of him to know if he can use both on a regular basis. That doesn't mean there won't be lost-yardage or no-gain plays, because Murray had those too, but if we can get more of those plays where a 1-yard gain is turned into 4 or a 2-yarder becomes 5, we'll see things open up for the line.

I think Dallas made the right decision not to resign Murray, but they completely screwed it up by the guys they brought in or kept. Reading posts this summer, some posters thought holes are as big as an ocean happen all game long. That is not the case and I cautioned that Murray will be missed in those carries where they are blocked for a yard but Murray would get 3 or 4 yards. That adds up big time. Now not having Romo and Dez certainly impacts the running game but I would wager our running game would be sub-standard even with Dez and Romo. The value of a running game and a great offensive line is not 70 yard touchdown runs (although they sometimes happen) it is you are able to churn 3-5 yards on most carries and wear a defense out. Even if they know a run is coming, they can't stop it...especially late in a game. This in turn gives you manageable second and third downs and also allows you to make more big plays in the passing game. Dallas has always been a big play passing team. The strong running game just gave this more chances to eventually make big plays in the passing game.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Pretty good post

But I'm really, really tired of the "Murray got dirty yards" rhetoric. He got them b/c he had no vision and just bulled into defenders. He was no better at turning a 1-yarder to 4 than Randle.

You maybe tired of reading it but that was what Murray excelled at. Turning those no gains into a 3-4 yards and making it easier for the offense to covert on 3rd and short.

Randle can't do that. If he gets hit at the LOS he losses yardage. Thus we end up with 2nd and long or 3rd and long. Frankly, I don't think Randle is starter material and I've made it clear all along that he just didn't fit with the type of oline that we have. He is nothing more than a change of pace back and would be better being in that position rather than the lead dog.

I'm excited that their going to try out Cmike for once. Its long overdue and hopefully he can be that back that can give us a spark on offense. Even without Romo.

 

[KJJ]

Finally shaken it up. The Gents won't know what hit them.

You can bet they're it itching to get back at the Cowboys after handing them opener in the final minutes. Anytime a team starts making drastic changes at QB and RB in a desperate attempt to save their season you never know what you're going to get. The Cowboys are trying to find a way to right the ship with a couple of the players Cassel and Michael who didn't spend the offseason or go to camp with them. With Seattle on the horizon the floor is going to give way if the team doesn't get a win against the Giants.

 

[DC Cowboy]

Excellent! This roster needs a shake up.

not sure I would change both but lets hope this provide a spark.

 

[Future]

You maybe tired of reading it but that was what Murray excelled at. Turning those no gains into a 3-4 yards and making it easier for the offense to covert on 3rd and short.

Randle can't do that. If he gets hit at the LOS he losses yardage. Thus we end up with 2nd and long or 3rd and long. Frankly, I don't think Randle is starter material and I've made it clear all along that he just didn't fit with the type of oline that we have. He is nothing more than a change of pace back and would be better being in that position rather than the lead dog.

I'm excited that their going to try out Cmike for once. Its long overdue and hopefully he can be that back that can give us a spark on offense. Even without Romo.

Murray didn't excel at anything. As for Randle losing yardage getting hit, not ONE person who has claimed that he can't break tackles has shown any actual evidence of that.
There's this run:

And basically this entire post, in which he falls forward every time, even when there are no holes.
http://all22breakdown.com/?p=3679

So tell me again how he always loses yards when he gets hit? And tell me again how many times Michael has been hit in the backfield and turned it into positive yards. (Hint, its 0, he lost yards the only time he didn't have a hole).

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

Murray didn't excel at anything. As for Randle losing yardage getting hit, not ONE person who has claimed that he can't break tackles has shown any actual evidence of that.
There's this run:

And basically this entire post, in which he falls forward every time, even when there are no holes.
http://all22breakdown.com/?p=3679

So tell me again how he always loses yards when he gets hit? And tell me again how many times Michael has been hit in the backfield and turned it into positive yards. (Hint, its 0, he lost yards the only time he didn't have a hole).

He didn't have a hole on his second carry either, Broaddus said the entire line got pushed back, but Michael adjusted, cut to the right and got the first down (it was supposed to go up the gut)

 

[Future]

He didn't have a hole on his second carry either, Broaddus said the entire line got pushed back, but Michael adjusted, cut to the right and got the first down (it was supposed to go up the gut)

There was a huge cutback lane, which is how this scheme is designed to work. If option A is bottled up, option B, the cutback, should be there. A good run, but it's not uncommon in this scheme. Randle had the same run as well.

Few runs in the ZBS are "supposed to" go anywhere. It is almost entirely dictated by how the defense reacts. An inside zone is almost designed to suck in the OLB and open that cutback on the opposite side.

 

[cowboyuptx]

I'd be glad to see Michael get more carries, but I am tired of hearing about the RB position. If you came into this season expecting Dallas to lead the league in rushing, then you were setting yourself up for disappointment. That said, when you have Dez, Romo, and Witten, then you can certainly get by with the RB's we've got... The Patriots are undefeated with Lagarrette Blount and Dion Lewis as their RB's...

 

[RunDMC]

Murray didn't excel at anything. As for Randle losing yardage getting hit, not ONE person who has claimed that he can't break tackles has shown any actual evidence of that.
There's this run:

And basically this entire post, in which he falls forward every time, even when there are no holes.
http://all22breakdown.com/?p=3679

So tell me again how he always loses yards when he gets hit? And tell me again how many times Michael has been hit in the backfield and turned it into positive yards. (Hint, its 0, he lost yards the only time he didn't have a hole).

We watch the games. Saying Murray didn't excel at anything shows you didn't. The entire time he was in Dallas, Murray was great at fighting and getting extra yards. When there was no hole often times he made his own hole like when we had one of the worst offensive lines in the game in the first two years of his career. He was the best downhill runner we've had in a long time. Yeah he left some yards on the field, but he also got a lot of yards that most backs like the JAG's we have now couldn't get.

Randle is so impatient. He doesn't follow his blockers. Why do you think he tries to jump over the line? He's not a downhill runner. He's all finesse. He's afraid of contact. That's why he goes down so easily. He's always trying to dance in the back field instead of just hitting the hole. The Cowboys don't need that right now.

 

[Future]

We watch the games. Saying Murray didn't excel at anything shows you didn't. The entire time he was in Dallas, Murray was great at fighting and getting extra yards. When there was no hole often times he made his own hole like when we had one of the worst offensive lines in the game in the first two years of his career. He was the best downhill runner we've had in a long time. Yeah he left some yards on the field, but he also got a lot of yards that most backs like the JAG's we have now couldn't get.

Randle is so impatient. He doesn't follow his blockers. Why do you think he tries to jump over the line? He's not a downhill runner. He's all finesse. He's afraid of contact. That's why he goes down so easily. He's always trying to dance in the back field instead of just hitting the hole. The Cowboys don't need that right now.

Murray wasn't great at fighting for yards, because he couldn't hold onto the football. In my life I've never seen an RB taken down by single safeties as often as Murray was.

You're not watching Randle. The guy falls forward every play.

 

[RunDMC]

Murray wasn't great at fighting for yards, because he couldn't hold onto the football. In my life I've never seen an RB taken down by single safeties as often as Murray was.

You're not watching Randle. The guy falls forward every play.

Then explain how Murray was amongst the leaders for yards after contact.

 

[Joe Realist]

Randle is not the guy. He is useful once the defense has softened up.

 

[Future]

Then explain how Murray was amongst the leaders for yards after contact.

A) He wasn't

B) He was always getting hit by DBs, rather than DL and LBs.

 

[Future]

Randle is not the guy. He is useful once the defense has softened up.

His success this year has all come in the first half.

 

[RunDMC]

A) He wasn't

B) He was always getting hit by DBs, rather than DL and LBs.

So you're saying Joseph Randle is a better back than DeMarco Murray?

 

[sbark]

Second biggest myth on this board after "anyone can run behind this line".

Nope...just need the creativity shown by linehan with him in preseason and a qb that can anticipate